Thrust-bearing



A..KINGSBURY. THRUST BEARING. APPLICATION FILED MAY1,1917.

' Patented Aug. 1920.

2 SHEETs-S E A. KINGSBURY.

THRUSTBEARING.

APPLICATION HLEp MAY 1. 1917.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

my"! I 1 "'II'I'I'I'I' -I- a citizen of the United States of comprisedof relatively few parts.

' or apertures in UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT KINGSBURY, 0F PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA.

THRUST-BEARING.

N Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 1, 1917. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ALBERT KINGsBUnY, America, and a resident ofPittsburgh, Allegheny county, and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Thrust-Bearings, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference'being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part thereof. 1

My invention relates to bearings and while my invention isnot limited toany tively low to a relatively high pressure p01 tion of the bearing,and a film of oil is thereby automatically maintained between thebearing surfaces; and the latter are further automatically maintained incorrect operative position relative to each other, by being so mountedthat at least one of them can tilt radially as well ascircumferentially. Oneobject of my invention is to provide a bearinghaving the above described characteristics that shall be particularlysimple and inexpensive to construct, and that shaltL be other object ofmy invention is to provide a structure of the character specifiedwhichcomprises two cooperating surface bearing members, one of which isrelatively rigid and the other of which is continuous and relativelyflexible, or elastic, one or both of the said members having transverseoil slots its bearing surface; and means for yieldingly supporting theflexible or elastic bearing member and equalizing the pressure thereon,so as to permit of the automatlc formation and maintenance of a seriesof symmetrically disposed wedge shaped oil films between the thrustengaging surfaces when the bearing is in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a thrust bearing comprisinga member having an annular bearing surface provided with oil carryingslots or a ertures and a cooperating continuous flexible bearing memberwhich may have an uninterrupted annular bearing surface, and means foryieldingly supporting the flexible member to permit the oil supplied tothe apertures or slots to enter the bearing surfaces by flexing thebearing member to accommodatethe varia- Patented Aug. 10, 1920.165,685.-

ions or gradations in the oil pressures existing at' difl'eren parts ofthe bearing surfaces. 7

thus providing a yieldingly supported flexible bearing member, and meansfor supplying oil to the bearing surfaces at spaced points therein, theoil (provided the bearing surfaces are flooded) is forced or wedgedbetween the bearing surfaces when the bear-- ing is in operation so asto produce what at any one instant might be accurately termed aplurality or succession of oil wedges. The oil of which these wedges iscomposed is under high pressure and they obviously cannot exist 1n casethe bearing surfaces are continuous unless one of the bearing members isflexible so that it is free to be distorted by the liquid pressure.

he position of the oil wedges in the bearing are dependent upon thelocation and arrangement of the oil grooves in the bearing members.and'upon the relative movement of the cooperating bearing surfaces. Ifthe rigid member is provided with grooves, and is made the rotor orrotating element, the oil wedges are not at rest but move with therotor, so that there is produced in theflexible ring an endlesssuccession of waves; The thickness of the oil wedges and the amplitudeof the Waves referred to are, of course, very small.

If the grooves are in the flexible ring and none is provided in therigid rotor, the oil In any event the structure permits the oil to beautomatically and continuously forced between the bearing surfacestially the view of the same bearing with certain of the parts brokenaway.

Figs. 3 and 4 are my invention.

partial sections showing slightly modified structures which embody- Fig.5 is a development into a single plane of a bearing structure of thesame genera kind as-those of Figs. 1

and the rotor shown in section.

Fig. 6 corresponds to Fig. 5 and shows my invention in which rocln'ngsupports are substituted for springs.

Fig.7 is a transverse an embodiment 5 0 16 angles toFig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a partial bearing member of tion is shown in and 3 with thebase section taken at right Fig. 8 corresponds to Fig. 5 and shows astill further embodiment of, my invention. plan view of the flexibleFig. 8.

" Still another embodiment of my inven- Figs. 10 and 11 which correspondrespectively to Figs. 8 and 9.

Figs. 12 and 13 of my invention.

Special reference correspond respectively to Figs. 6 and 7 and showanother embodiment may first be had to Figs.

base having a central opening 11 through which a rotatable shaft 12extends.

thrust collar. 13 is secured to the shaft and has an annular bearingsurface 14 in which are radial oil slots 0 16 loosely surrounds aflixedto the base. 85

vide an oil pocket of the base is provided holes or recesses 19 outerwall orflange 17 r apertures 15. A sleeve the shaft 12 and is Itcooperates with an of the base to pro- The upper surface with aplurality of in which springs 20 are mounted. A continuous relativelythin flexithrust collar, and is vble bearing ring 21 has whichcoiiperates with a bearing surface 22, the surface 14 of the supportedon the springs of'parts being such .that the ring isadapted to bewaved:or distorted slightly by the oil pressures exerted between thebearing surfaces when-the bear- -mg is in operation.

The base'has one or more 24 in the ring and prevent rotation. Anyothersuitable means may be utilized for preventing the rdtation of the Iengage notches b0 lugs 23' which ring without interfering with itsfreedomof I movement.

- In the embodimen number of springs but it Is evident that a smallshown a large as indicated in Fi above described I have number may beused 3, or some other means may be employed or supporting the ring at 1spaced points so as 4, I have shown screwed into the base cally curvedtop 26 ring 21 rests. 66 In the structure 0 not to materially interferewith its flexing. For example, inFig.

an adjustable bolt 25 10 and having a spherion which the flexible f Fig.4 the flexible ring is supported at spaced points by rigid members andconsequently the oil wedges produced when the bearing is 'in operationdo 1 not rotate but are relatively. stationary.

The spacing of the spr1n s circumferenti'ally may be as shown in d ig.5, but the springs may be closer together or farther apart in either orboth directions, dependent upon the load which the bearing is called Tupon to support, and the strength of the individual springs, etc.

In the latter embodiment the flexible bearing member 21 is held againstrotationby lugs or pins 23? which extend upwardly from the base and fitloosely into holes or recesses 24 in the member 21*. The member 21 hasradial oil slots 25 one or both edges of which may be slightly beveledas shown at 26 in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 6, the base 10 is provided with apertures 27 in which aredisposed rockers 28 having upwardly extending projections 29 upon whichthe flexible ring- 21 is mounted and downwardly extending pivotprojections 30 which rest upon the bottoms of the recesses;

The flexible rin and uninterrupte member 21 is continuous in'structure,and it may have either a plane or uninterrupted bearing surface, asshown in Figs. 1 to 4 and 6 and 7, or it may have slots as shown in'Fig.

5 or spaced perforations 31- as shown in Figs.

8 and 9. Through these the oil flows to the bearing surfaces as well asthrough the oil slots or recesses 15'of the thrust collar.

Referring-to Figs. 10 and 11, instead of the ring 21, an annularbearingmember 32 is employed which has radial slots or recesses 33 inits under side, and which consists of flexible portions 34. betweenrelatively rigid portions 35.' The flexible portions may also-beprovided with slots, aper tures or openings 36, if desired.

The annular bearing member may be" I mounted in any suitable manner, as,for example, upon the springs 37.

Referring now to Figs. 12 and 13, the base 10 is here shown as providedwith an annular channel 38 in which is disposed some non-compressiblefluid such as oil al- The operation of the bearing in each embodimentwill be clearly understood from the foregoing discussion.

In a two member bearing having one flexible member, particularly goodresults may be obtained when one memberhas a continuous uninterruptedbearing surface and the other is provided with slots, apertures or thelike for supplying oil to the bearing surface. My invention is notlimited to such an arrangement however.

And it is possible as already explained, to use grooves of the samecharacter-with either beveled or unbeveled edgesin either one or both oftl e bearing members: and if both members are grooved there is asuperand stationary oil position of rotating wedges. The use of bevelededge grooves in this construction is particularly advantageous inassisting in. the flexing of the thin continuous ring -member andthereby wedge shaped oil films between the bearing surfaces.

lVhat I claim is: 1. A thrust bearing comprising relatively rotatablebearing members one of which consists of a continuous flexible ringhaving an annular bearing surface, and supporting the ring to permitexed in response to the varying pressures due to the wedging action ofthe oil between means for are in relative movement.

2. A hearing comprising a member having an anuular bearing surface withone or more oil apertures therein, a relatively thin flexible continuousbearing member having a cooperating bearing surface, and yield- 1ngmeans for supporting said flexible mem- .ing

dlally disposed spacedtherein, a

ber.

ing a "cooperating bearing surface, springs tending to press the bearingmemers together without interfering with the flexing of the flexiblemember in response to the varying pressures duesurfaces when the lattermovement.

4. A bearing "comprising a member havan anuular bearing surface with oneor more oil apertures therein, a relatively thin flexible continuousbearing member having a cooperating bearing surface, and a plurality ofcircumferentially distributed springs for supporting the flexiblemember.

' bearing comprising a member having an annular bearing surface havingraopenings circumferentially ber composed of a relatively thin flexibleannulus having an uninterrupted bearing Y ing an uninterrupted which oilis delivered to action of the oil between the bearing silient meanscooperating bearing mem-y the varying pressures due to the wedgingaction of the oil faces.

8. A bearing comprising a'member having an annular bearing surface withone or more oil apertures therein, a' relatively thin flexiblecooperating bearing member havbetween the bearing suring anuninterrupted bearing surface, and 'a plurality of circumferentiallydistrlbuted,

springs for supporting the flexible member.

bearing-comprising a relatively rigid member having an annular bearlngsurface and a continuous relatively flexible annular member having acooperating bearing surface and eldmg means for supporting the flexiblemember, at least one of said earing surfaces having apertures throughthe surfaces.

10. A thrust bearing comprising relatively rotatable bearing members oneof which yielding means for supporting saidring to permit it to beflexed in response to the wedging action of the oil between the bear ingsurfaces.

11. A thrust bearing comprising relatively rotatable which consists of acontinuous, flexible ring having an annularbearing surface, and reforsupporting said ring and equitably distributing the bearing pressure onsaid surfaces. 1

12. A thrust bearing comprising relatively rotatable bearing members oneof thin continusurface, and a porting said flexible ring.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of April,1917.

ALBERT KINGSB'URY.

bearing 'members one of 105

